


Kingdom Hearts Union Rebirth Link (URL)

by crabtr01



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-25
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-07 05:11:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18230372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crabtr01/pseuds/crabtr01
Summary: Kingdom Hearts URL is set after the events of KH3, and serves as an introduction to refrains, 7 new unions, the advanced guard, and several Disney worlds never featured in the canon series. Kairi is joined by Mog (a moogle) and Choca (a chocobo) as she explores worlds that are connected to her own heart in an attempt to grow stronger. Riku seeks out Sora, and is at the mercy of the Star Shard. Mickey, Venuts, Aqua, Terra, Lea, Roxas, and Xion are given new keyblades and instructed by Master Yen Sid to form new unions and seek out hearts of light. They will teach these hearts of light how to wield keyblades. As Leon has gathered many Square characters to combat the heartless, Minnie, with the help of Scrooge, has been gathering Disney characters who might also help in the battle. Each of their journeys has them cross paths with familiar and unfamiliar characters based of Square Enix, Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucas Film properties.





	1. The Storm Clouds Gather

**Author's Note:**

> [A wave hits the shore and reflects the sunlight, recedes, then hits the shore to reflect moonlight. Storm clouds gather overheard, and Kairi tries to place a letter in a bottle as the wind sweeps the notebook page from her hand and carries it away.]
> 
> [Raindrops begin to fall and as they hit the sand each one becomes a splash of different color. As they land they make the sound of a piano, a clarinet, a violin, and drums. The tempo builds, until Kairi stands vulnerably in the downpour surrounded by a sorrowful requiem]
> 
> [The paper floats higher and higher toward the eye of the storm and a poem is revealed]
> 
> Cold rain falling on my skin  
> Will we ever meet again  
> Your voice echoes in the drive by
> 
> [Lightning strikes and the paper is engulfed in flame. Kairi's eyes reflect a lightning strike before loosing a single tear. She drops the bottle in defeat, which hits the ground in a large thud. The music swells, the bottle shatters, and images of Kairi and Sora from the past can be seen in each shard]
> 
> [Xion, Axel, and Roxas eat ice cream atop the Twilight Town tower. The sunset is suddenly darkened by a storm, and they arm themselves. A silhouetted figure appears on the horizon, and suddenly the music hits a rest, the sky explodes into a dark storm of thousands of monsters. The trio leap from the tower into the sky to face the threat]
> 
> I’ll never say that last farewell  
> ‘Til the tower strikes a final bell  
> Won’t our reunion be a thing of beauty? 
> 
> [A light bursts forth and engulfs three keyblade wielders. The Twilight Town scene shifts to a sketchbook page where Namine is drawing the trio inside the mansion. She looks up from her sketchbook and outside the window. She can see Hayner, Pence, and Olette looking toward the sky in horror.]
> 
> Can you hear me after midnight?  
> Or is it noise fading out the twilight?  
> Turn the dial, flip the switch,  
> Tune our static to a secret glitch,  
> Is there a beat to your radio heart?   
> Are you still there on the other side? 
> 
> Time and worlds fall to ruin  
> And born from them are this refrain
> 
> [Ventus, Terra, and Aqua see a glimpse of Master Eraqus sitting on a throne at the Land of Departure. Then he disperses into a dusty swirl of light particles. The room spins, and the three of them now sit in the thrones. They are looking at someone in anger. The room spins again and a figure appears. A keyblade appears in their hand, they flicker, and raise their keyblade to Aqua with murderous intent. Ven and Terra quickly parry the keyblade back as their keyblades cross in front of Aqua to separate her from the figure. Aqua's face is full or terror, and her eyes grow wide. Inside them, the light fades, and darkness swirls. The room spins, and Aqua is falling into a dark ocean. She reaches for three wayfinders, but she's falling too fast. She hits the ocean and everything goes black]
> 
> We’re apart I know it  
> But remember you will always sit  
> In the throne of my memory
> 
> Can you hear me after midnight?  
> Or is it noise fading out the twilight?  
> Two waves cause an ocean of sound.  
> In the light I’m lost and found  
> Is there a beat to your radio heart?   
> Are you still there in my dreams? 
> 
> Riku appears on the shore of Destiny Islands. It is in ruin, and he looks to a tree to see Kairi and Sora sitting on it sharing a paopu fruit. He runs toward them, but is swallowed by darkness. He now stands at the shores in the Realm of Darkness. Aqua turns to greet him. A figure appears and Riku rushes to Aqua's side as they both raise keyblades. They clash with the figure, then repel one another. Ventus and Terra clash with a figure, and are also repelled. Axel leaps up the swing his keyblade, while Roxas and Xion spring forward and clash with the figure. They are all repelled. Mickey and Yen Sid are revealed to be watching this in the Mysterious Tower. Something startles them. They look up, and a hooded figure stands in the doorway. Mickey readies his keyblade. Lightning strikes behind them. Kairi still stands on the shore, wiping her tear and readying a keyblade as the sun breaks the clouds]
> 
> Our fate has been tied together  
> So follow its thread through the maze  
> Is there still a beat to your radio heart?   
> Do you still long to hold me as I break apart?
> 
> [The waves slowly take the shards of the bottle out to see a few at a time]

Gears grinded against one another, causing the clocktower face in Daybreak Town to tick in place. A chessboard rested on a wooden table in the center of the room, above it stood fixed the cloaked gaze of a figure in a black coat. The man moved chess pieces about the board one at a time. After each move, he leaned over and scribbled something quickly into a book, then replaced the piece.

“Hm. Ah yes. That could be it! No wait. Hm. But how about this! Yes! That’s genius!”

Behind him, four armored figures stood quietly as if awaiting his order to move. 

“Oh. Right, you’re still here. I guess they don’t call you the Advance Guard for nothing.”

“They?” One of the armored people said. 

“Well, me. I came up with the name. But we decided on foreguardians instead.” He waved his finger in the air and traced the number four. “Pretty catchy, right?”  
The room was silent.

“I guess we should get started then. So, tell me, how do we win this game?”

A girl stepped forward, her armor had a pink and white tint to it. Is this necessary, Master Tenma?”

“Quite. Come on. Come on! Indulge me. Live a little, Idyll!”

“You could not play. If every piece refused to move then they each win simultaneously,” she said. 

“But they would also lose, too.” Another armored figure said. He stepped forward to examine the game. “You must pick a side and protect those pieces at all cost.” 

“Right! Right! You’re both right, but wrong. So wrong. We could do nothing, but where’s the fun in that? Lumino you say to choose sides. But you’re missing the big picture!” Tenma waved his arms wide into the air to frame a large rectangle. “There’s more than meets the eye, here, I promise you.” 

“The big picture, huh? Well then maybe Daguerre can figure it out! He’s always taking pictures with that tiny box of his,” Idyll said. 

“I’d need to take several pictures, and move things around a bit,” Daguerre said. 

“Be my guest,” Tenma said. 

As Daguerre reached out his hand to touch a piece, another armored figure slapped his hand back, knocking the piece over. 

“What? Ludic, that’s super uncalled for,” Tenma said. 

“Let me play! You can’t have all the fun. I refuse to lose to any of you!” Ludic said. “Black pieces, White pieces…This here. No. This here.” 

He mixed the pieces around and looked to Tenma who shook his head. “Huh-uh.” They repeated this a couple times.

“Wait!” Ludic took the pieces up and examined them, then he sat them aside until the board was blank. “I know!” He laughed. Tears welled in his eyes. “I know the answer.” He jumped around as if he were a small child.

“If you know the answer then spit it out. Don’t keep us waiting. How do we win the game?” Tenma asked. The other foreguardians watched in suspense.  
Ludic smiled and threw the board across the room. He took the pieces and lined them together in a single row. “We change it!” He pushed one and they each began to fall over. Ludic laughed.

Tenma joined in his laughter and took notes in his book. “He’s good! Very good. Now, listen up. It might seem like just a game, but I assure you our lives are on the line. So whatever you do, don’t let your guard down. It’ll defeat the purpose of ‘foreguardians’ and all.”

“But, Master, what are we trying to protect?” Lumino asked. 

“What? You don’t know? How...CAN YOU NOT KNOW!?” Tenma asked. He pretended to sob quietly into his hands.

The foreguardians gasped and stepped back in surprise. 

“I’m kidding. I haven’t told you yet. You all act like you were born yesterday. Each of you will have a role to play. Something very important to guard. And you must promise to guard it with your life.”

“But what could be so important?” Idyll asked. 

Tenma looked down at the chess pieces and picked up the book he had scribbled in earlier. He tossed the chess pieces across the room until only four remained, then he handed one to each of them. “I’ll explain what they mean to you later. But first, I have a bit of reading to finish. For now, have fun, run around, be free. Things are about to change, and you won’t want to miss it.”

__________________________________________________________

 

[In the voice of Chirithy] 

Tenma was being honest when he warned the foreguardians that day. By giving his students each a special role he would set in place a destiny for many people that would fall in place like dominoes. 

As time passed on, there were some that discovered the power to change destiny, to create a timeline or worldline outside of their own. They even discovered how to travel across these lines should the fate of their world be in jeopardy. These fractures caused cataclysmic ends for some, but other worldlines continued on as if all was normal. One worldline prevailed further than all the others, and once discovered, it would eventually be dubbed “The Canon.” All other worldlines, the ones Tenma called copies and recorded in his book of prophecies, were doomed to end. They returned to a void of nothingness. But not everything was lost. Sometimes when a worldline would end, the strong hearts of worlds or people would persist. 

Tenma was one such heart, and he traveled between worldlines, collecting hearts that were the same as his so that they might live on together. He began to create his own canon worldline, building it from the ruins of those that were left behind.   
_________________________________________________________

 

[In the voice of Kairi] 

Hearts and flowers.   
Dreams and keys.   
Every step has been a journey of waiting.   
I’ve spent my life trying to touch the sky   
from the bottom of the sea.   
Too afraid to say I exist,   
that I’m still here.   
So afraid that without you,   
darkness is the future. 

 

 

Seagulls circled over the Destiny Islands as the tide brought waves gently to shore. White puffy clouds blotted the deep blue sky as far as the horizon. Kairi and Riku stood on the beach. 

“Do you remember when we all played here and laughed together. It was before the darkness, before the heartless. Sometimes I have trouble remembering it clearly,” Kairi said. 

“It’s something I could never forget. That was the night I let my heart fall to darkness.” 

“Maybe. But you overcame so much. You should be proud of yourself, Riku. Things were a lot simpler back then. I’d give anything to have the three of us here together and laughing again.”

“I know how you feel. But living in the past can be dangerous. We’ll find him. I promise,” Riku said.

“Do you really think so? It seems so impossible,” Kairi said. 

Riku looked at her and laughed. 

“Huh? What’ so funny?”

“You’re still just as lazy as he is,” Riku smiled. The memories of that day had played back in his head countless times. 

Kairi thought back for a moment and then she smiled too. “So you noticed,” she said. A laughter welled up inside her and escaped in short bursts. Then all at once she grew serious. 

Riku could see the determination in her eyes. He could so much the distance and pain behind them. 

“Kairi?” Riku stretched his arm to comfort her. 

“We’ll find him together. I owe him everything.” The she grinned, and it reminded Riku of Sora. “I’ll race you.” 

Riku was shocked, but then he grinned back. “Yeah. You’re on!” 

“Hey. Thank you for helping me train. I know I need to get stronger.”

“You are strong Kairi. Sora always told me that you made him feel stronger. In some ways I feel the same. Sora made me feel stronger, so maybe, I can make you feel strong too.” 

Kairi turned away to hide her tears, but then something caught her eyes. Her eyes grew focused and lucid. She wiped them with her arm and then dove in front of Riku. 

“Riku look out!” She cried. 

But Riku already had his keyblade at the ready.

A creature began to rise from the sea. “Geh heh, gwee hee hee hee hee!” It had jagged teeth and tentacles sprouting from its mouth. Then, a bouncing light came down from the sky and smacked the creature on its head. The creature grew dizzy and stunned while the light bounced to shore and Roxas appeared. 

“Hey, sorry I’m late,” Roxas said. “This thing has a mind of its own.” He held out his hand and showed them the star shard. “Mickey wanted you to have it. He said it might help you find Sora.” 

Riku took it and thanked him. “We’ve got company.”

The creature chucked and squirmed his way ashore. “My tentacles will feel so good around her!” The creature said. 

“Who are you?” Riku asked. 

“What? You’ve never heard of Ultros?” 

“He’s scary!” Roxas said. 

“Scary? I’m not scary. I just overheard you guys talking and thought I might be able to help,” Ultros said. 

“You know eavesdropping isn’t very nice?” Roxas said. 

“Can you really help us?” Kairi asked. 

“Of course. I’d love to help. I can take you right to the person you’re looking for. Just come with me,” Ultros said. “Geh heh, geh hee hee hee hee.” 

A tentacle burst through the water and wrapped around Kairi. She screamed. Riku and Roxas were quick to act. Oblivion and Oathkeeper appeared in Roxas’s hands. Kairi’s keyblade appeared too. 

“Oh come on, play nice. I was only trying to help. Now I think I’ll just help myself! Geh heh, hee hee.”

A tentacle grabbed Kairi’s keyblade and flung it to shore. Riku lunged forward to slash at the tentacle that was binding Kairi. Ultros complained and let go of her immediately, but then he turned his focus onto Riku. A tentacle wrapped around Riku’s keyblade and tossed it to shore as well. 

“Riku!” Roxas yelled and tossed Riku Oblivion. Riku caught it and quickly slashed at Ultros. But then, something strange happened.

“What? Not now!” Riku said.

The star shard began to glow and Riku disappeared in a bouncing orb of light. Ultros hammered a tentacle into a confused Roxas and sent him flying backward. 

“Roxas!” Kairi yelled, as she ran to his side. Her keyblade was too far away. “I promise to give this back,” she said and took Oathkeeper into her hands. As she sprinted toward Ultros a ray of light burst from the sky and something quickly struck Kairi in the heart. She felt an overwhelming power grow inside her. She pointed Oathkeeper at Ultros and a ray of light shot out at him. 

“YEOUCH! No fair! This isn’t how it was supposed to go down. My job here is done anyway. You should really learn how to play nice!” 

Kairi watched as Ultros disappeared into the horizon, then she called out for Riku and tended to Roxas. 

“Are you okay, Roxas?” 

Roxas was unresponsive. 

A keyhole appeared below them and the wind swirled. Kairi’s keyblade iluminated and she and Roxas were consumed by a strong light. She noticed the necklace Aqua had given her was glowing as well. She could feel herself moving, as if being carried away by a strong wind. She held tight to Roxas, and eventually the came to a rest.

 

________________________________________________

Dust swirled around a small robot, looking much like a rusty pair of binoculars placed upon a small engine with tank treads. It wandered about in the wastelands of the Keyblade Graveyard collecting lifeless keyblades and piling them into massive heaps. As it turned the corner of a pile, it came upon something it had never noticed. 

Riku lay unconscious in the dirt. His gummiphone, Oblivion, and the Star Shard rested beside him. The robot lifted the star shard and examined it, then placed it inside a lunchbox. Then, it lifted the Gummiphone which began to ring. The robot was startled but intrigued. It recorded the sound, and then placed the Gummiphone in its lunchbox as well. 

Riku woke and lifted himself to a sitting position. 

“Huh? So I wound up here? I hope Kairi and Roxas are okay.” 

The robot zipped away in shock and watched Riku from behind a stone pillar. 

“I must have lost my keyblade when that thing attacked. Guess this one will have to do until I can get it back.” Riku reached into his pocket but found that his phone was gone. 

“What?” He sighed and looked around. “Looks like I have a bit of walking to do.”

As Riku wandered about the wasteland he couldn’t help but feel like someone was following him. 

“Is anyone there?” He readied Oblivion in his hand and scanned the dust for signs of something moving. Then he heard it, faintly, and made out the ring of his gummiphone. As he ran toward it, the sound moved too. 

When he finally pinned down the location he decided to trap the thief. Sprinting up a spire, Riku leapt quietly from edge to edge until he was certain the thief was below him.   
Then, he dove. 

“I’ve got you now!” 

He was met with a robotic shriek. Heartless shadows had surrounded a robot. 

“Heartless? But why are they attacking that robot?’

Riku slashed at them. A demon tower rose from the ground and he fired a Dark Firaga spell at it. The tower burst apart and Riku quickly dispatched the straggling shadows. 

The robot quickly dumped the contents of the lunchbox. “Woah.” It said and recoiled inside a box-like form. Part of it’s tread had been damaged from the attack. 

“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to surprise you. I just needed back the things you took from me. Thank you for keeping them safe,” Riku said. 

The robot slowly came out of hiding. 

“My name’s Riku.”

The robot looked Riku up and down. His eyes shifted and he rolled back and forth. 

“Riiiiiikuuuu?”

“That’s right. What’s your name?”

“Waaalleeeee.” The robot used recordings to talk and most of his reply sounded like a warped record. 

“WALL-E? It’s nice to meet you. So, why are you here? Did you get stranded?” 

WALL-E shook his head. He lifted his lunchbox, made a noise and trailed off. 

“Hey wait up!” Riku said. He followed WALL-E until they came to a cave. Inside was a collection of keyblades and gummiblocks. “Woah! So this is what you’ve been up to.” 

WALL-E took a gummiblock shaped like a tank tread and replaced his damaged one. Then he took a keyblade from a shelf-like indention in the wall and presented it to Riku. It was gray and resembled a chainsaw, with a saw-like blade that reminded Riku of Sora and Mickey’s Kingdom Keys. 

“This is a strange Keyblade. It almost looks like a prototype. I wonder who it belongs to?”

“Riiiiikuuuuu. Keeeyblaaaaade,” WALL-E said. 

“That’s right. But this one doesn’t belong to me. I’m afraid none of these are mine.”

WALL-E’s eyes dropped. Then they perked up and it pointed to Oblivion. 

“This belonged to a friend of mine. Well, two friends actually. It’s kind of hard to explain. Their names are Sora and Roxas. Do you know them?”

“Sooooraaa? Rox. As?”

“I see. Well, if you do meet them, please let them know I am looking for them.”

Suddenly, WALL-E was in an uproar of excitement. He was making the sound of Riki’s gummiphone. 

“That’s right! Someone was trying to call me. I completely forgot.”

Riku took out his phone and saw three missed calls from Mickey. He dialed Mickey’s number and listened to the dial tone. WALL-E studied the phone and began sorting gummiblock pieces from his scraps. 

“Hello? Riku! Where are you,” Mickey said. “Did you get the star shard?”

“Yes. Roxas gave it to me, but we were attacked. I was transported to the Keyblade Graveyard. Do you know if Roxas and Kairi are safe?”

“Attacked! Oh no! By who?” Donald’s voice sounded in the background. 

“I’m not sure. It wasn’t a normal monster. But if the Star Shard brought me here, I was thinking it might be possible Sora is somewhere here too,” Riku said. 

“Gee. I don’t know, Riku. I guess it could be possible he found a way back. If anyone could, it would be Sora!”

“I’ll take a look around. But I lost my Keyblade when we got separated on Destiny Island. Do you think you could find it for me? I’m sorry to ask.”

“No problem. We need to investigate this new enemy anyways. I’ll ask Yen Sid if he’s seen anything. He’s talking to Aqua at the moment. Be safe out there Riku. Call if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Mickey. I will.”

When Riku hung up the phone, he saw that WALL-E had built a small device from gummiblocks. 

“Oh? What’s this?”

WALL-E answered with the same sound as Riku’s ringtone. “Friends.” 

“ I see. We’re friends now, and we can use this to communicate. Thank you. WALL-E. I know they are out there somewhere, and that they’re safe. I have to believe that. We’ll be together again some day.”

Riku turned and left the cave. The dusts swirled and the wind blew. He took a few steps, but something felt wrong. Visions forced themselves to his mind and his eyes shook wildly. Several faces and people appeared in his mind as if he were remembering something he hadn’t yet experienced. 

“Riku!” A voice shouted. Then a figure in a black coat appeared before him. Riku tried to swipe at the figure, but his mind swelled with more visions and he fell to his knees in pain. 

He could see Joshua, Shiki, Neku, Beat, and Rhyme. There were fighting others: a girl with a scythe, a boy with a ninja blade, and another boy with two guns. 

“Are you a player? Who is your partner?”

He was standing in Traverse Town amidst a battle. 

“My name’s Maka. I’m a reaper.”

The girl smiled and shook his hand. Then she changed and a scythe appeared in her hands ready to attack. 

“Namine!” Joshua shouted. “Look out!” 

Riku dodged the girl’s scythe and his keyblade appeared. 

“You’ve thrown off the symmetry!” The boy with the guns yelled and fired at Riku.

Everything spins and Riku is standing outside of the Moogle’s shop. A cloaked figure approaches him. 

“They call them the noise. We call them refrains,” the cloaked figure said. “Neither are real. Neither are fake. They are both. The same as you and I.”

Then all at once the visions stopped and the figure in the Keyblade Graveyard was no longer standing in front of Riku. 

‘What just happened?” Riku asked. 

WALL-E was looking up at him with concern. 

Before Riku could act, the star shard was glowing again and he was being transported away. 

“Not this again!”

When he was gone, WALL-E looked around for any sign of Riku. Realizing that Riku had disappeared, he sighed and returned to his scavenging.


	2. Union Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Figures begin to appear from the shadows. Perhaps not everything is as peaceful as it seems. Isa and Ansem the Wise seem to know more than they are saying, while Yen Sid summons everyone together for an important mission.

Kairi opened her eyes, and could see three thrones. In them sat Aqua, Terra, and Ventus. 

“Kairi?” Aqua said. 

“It’s Roxas, he’s hurt,” Kairi said. 

The three of them rushed to Kairi. 

“What happened?” Aqua asked. 

“We were attacked. Something came out of the water on the shores of Destiny Island.”

“Was it heartless?” Terra asked. 

Kairi shook her head. “I’m not sure what it was. It had all these tentacles and teeth. It grabbed me, but Riku and Roxas saved me. I’m not sure where Riku ended up.”

“That must have been scary, but you’re safe now. I’m glad you were able to get away. My spell must have brought you here,” Aqua said. “We should tell Yen Sid about this at once. Why do you think that monster attacked?”

“I don’t know. It was eavesdropping and he told us that he knew where Sora might be,” Kairi said. 

Terra gasped. “Do you think it’s possible? It may have been lying.” 

“Maybe. Maybe not. But we should find out. Roxas can rest in my room,” Ventus said. “Let’s tell Mickey and Yen Sid right away.”

 

Later, when Roxas awoke he could see Xion waiting beside him. He blinked and then realized it was Kairi. 

“That monster really did a number on me,” Roxas said. He laughed. “Thank you for saving me, Kairi.” 

“Mhm. But I don’t understand. I barely did anything. It’s almost like something else scared that creep away,” Kairi said. 

“Something else?”

“Something fell from the sky and I think it entered my heart. It was like a bright light, but it feels warm,” Kairi said. 

“That, doesn’t sound normal. We should get you checked out,” Roxas said. 

“I agree,” Aqua said. She looked stern. “I don’t want to leave anything up to chance. Mickey wants to see all of us right away. Lea and Xion will join us as well.” 

“I hope everything is okay,” Ventus said. 

“We should put up a protective barrier,” Terra said. “I don’t want to leave this place unguarded.”

“Right,” Aqua said.

 

They stepped outside and all five of them aimed their keyblades at the door. The castle was surrounded by a bright light and a keyhole appeared. A blue hexagonal barrier formed and Terra seemed satisfied. 

“There. It would take five or six people with strong magic to break this spell. Let’s hurry. Mickey seemed worried,” Aqua said.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

“You thinking about her?” Lea asked Isa atop the Twilight Town clock tower. 

“Huh? Did you say something?” Isa asked. 

“Woah! You’re totally spaced out today! What’s gotten into you? And sheesh, you aren’t the only one. This one over here is as quiet as a mouse!” 

Lea looked to Xion. Her ice cream was melting. As it dripped, a droplet of milky blue sweet joined a puddle on the ground while nearly missing an unsuspecting Hayner. 

“Hey! Watch it up there!” He said smiling. 

Olettle giggled and Pence squinted to see the trio through the bright sunlight. 

“We came to see if you guys wanted to eat at the Bistro today?” Pence said. 

“Sounds good! We’ll meet you there!” Lea said. He sighed and stretched. “Now quit your fretting, you two.”

“You go on ahead. I think I’m going to spend a bit longer up here. The air helps me think,” Isa said. 

“Seriously? Fine. Xion and I will try everything without you. Isn’t that right, Xion?” 

Xion sat uncomfortably, as if her stomach were upset. Lea nudged her. 

“Hey? What’s up?” She said. 

“Unbelievable! You guys are impossible. We’ve been invited to check out the Bistro. You’ll come along won’t you?” 

“Oh, sure. That sounds like fun,” Xion said.

“Is everything all right?” Lea asked. “Are you worried about Roxas? Don’t be. He’s fine. We’ll even save him a slice of whatever we’re having.”

“He was supposed to call us when he got there,” Xion said. “I’ve tried calling him, but he isn’t picking up.” 

“Hmph. Well if something is wrong, we’ll sweep in and save the day. Nothing to it!” Lea said. 

“Nothing to it?” Xion laughed. “Just like that?” 

“Yeah! You got it. Just like that. Piece of cake.” Lea said. “And speaking of cake. We should get going before the others order without us.” 

“He’s right. I’ll dial in and make sure everything is alright with everyone. If there’s a sign of trouble, I’ll alert you immediately,” Isa said. 

Xion nodded. And then, her and Lea were racing to the cafe. 

“Bold words,” a woman’s voice said. 

Isa’s eyes widened. He looked up to see a silhouetted figure finishing off a pudding cup. 

“An endless town of sunkissed twilight, stuck between summer’s noon and autumn’s midnight. Where atop its tower sits a stranger with long sapphire hair, searching for a soul that could be almost anywhere.”

“Who’s there?” Isa asked. “Wait? Thatvoice...?” 

“Sorry. Not quite. I mean you’re close. So close. Sooooo very close. But I’m not the one you’re searching for. My name’s Idyll.” 

“Idyll. I see. Then, no, you aren’t who I’m looking for. Why are you--” 

“Buuuut...I might know where she is. I might know where you can find her.”

“And how would you know that? Did Ienzo send you? What makes you an interested party?” 

Idyll laughed. “Those were the good old days. This place reminds me of that, of halcyon times spent beside my love. And my heart aches with cold anger. It seethes with darkness.” 

“Darkness? What are you going on about?” Isa asked. 

“I’ve been sent here to help you with your search. I promise, you’ll find who you’re looking for if you follow me. I know you’ve been searching for a long time, and I know too that I’m your only lead,” Idyll stepped out of the shadows. 

Isa was in shock. “You look...just like her. Is it really you?” 

“Come along. There is somewhere I’d like to show you.” 

Idyll stepped into a swirling black corridor of darkness. Isa looked out over the sunset, then down toward the bistro. 

“I’m sorry, Lea.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Aww man, the bistro is closed?” Hayner said in defeat. “Now what? I was really looking forward to this. We saved our money all week.”

“Major bummer,” Pence said. 

“I wonder why they closed shop? This place is always booming. There’s gotta be a good reason,” Olette said. 

“A holiday perhaps? Maybe the chef is out sick?” Hayner said. 

“Out sick?” Lea said as he joined them. “Who’s sick?” 

“The cafe is closed up tight. It’s kind of mysterious if you ask me,” Hayner said. 

“I guess we’ll have to try again tomorrow. Sorry, guys,” Pence said. 

“It’s not a total bust. Since we’re all together, maybe we could search out ingredients and make our own treats!” Olette said. “A cook off!”

“You’ve gotta be joking. I can’t cook! Do any of you know how to?” Lea asked. 

Everyone’s heads fell in unison. 

“We could see a movie!” Pence said. 

“But we’ve seen everything twice,” Hayner said. 

“I haven’t,” Xion said. 

“That’s because you always fall asleep. You and Roxas. Neither of you can sit still for very long and keep your eyes open. My shoulder still has a crick from nudging you guys awake the last time.” 

“Uggghhh. Come on, there’s gotta be something we haven’t done. I don’t want this weeked to be a bust. Tomorrow we go into work early,” Hayner said. 

“I’ve got it!” Pence said. “We can go to the mansion.”

“That old place?” Olette said. 

“We can access the virtual version of Twilight Town and have as much food as we want from the bistro. It’s all you can eat and totally free!”

“That’s a great idea! Why didn’t we think of it sooner?” Hayner said. 

“What do you say, Axel? It sounds fun right?” Xion said. 

“I’m in. Let’s go!” Axel said.

The five of them made their way through the sewers, and eventually came to the old mansion. 

“Hey, wait. Be quiet for a second,” Hayner said. He held his arm to halt everyone. “I think someone’s in there.”

“Why is it that there’s always someone in there. We should really stop calling it abandoned,” Lea said. But then something caught his eye. “It can’t be!”   
Lea ran forward in a sprint. 

“Wait, Axel!” Xion said. Then she chased after him. 

Hayner, Pence, and Olette looked at one another. 

“Do you think we should wait out here?” Pence asked. 

“We should probably follow them. They might need back up,” Hayner said. 

Inside, Lea saw the familiar blue locks of Isa turning a corner. 

“What is he doing here? Why would he come here?” Lea asked aloud, then he followed his friend deeper inside. Eventually, he could hear voices. One belonged to Isa, the other took him a moment, but he recognized it as Ansem the Wise. 

“I did many experiments, but I never imagined something like this being possible. Say what you want about my arrogant pupil, but he was true genius. His plans, his inventions have all been assembled here. I had thought to destroy them, but Ienzo convinced me that some good might come of them,” Ansem said. 

“It shocks me to learn that Xehanort had thought out his plan this far? Truly, he was dangerous,” Isa said. “But what would be the benefit of such a machine? How safe would it be to use?”

“Of that, I am uncertain. In his reports he called it a Time Gate. But it only functions in a pair. Someone must open the door to their side as we open the door on ours. That is difficult enough, but I had given up on the idea of it, since it also requires a key,” Ansem said. 

“I see,” Isa said. 

“If we can find a way to communicate to the other side, I can open our side no problem,” Idyll said. A keyblade flashed into her hand.

Xion had caught up to Axel at this point, who greeted her with a finger held to his lips. He also put a hand up to stop the others from coming too close. 

“Is there danger?” Hayner asked. 

Xion quickly shook her head.

“Why would they need to use that machine, Axel?” Xion asked. 

“I don’t know. It’s odd that Isa would keep this from me. Why is he still keeping secrets? And who is that woman?”

 

“Are you absolutely certain?” Ansem asked. 

“Without a doubt in my mind,” Isa said. 

“Be careful though. I strongly caution you against using it. You may intend no harm, but messing with the past may have consequences none of us perceive,” Ansem said. 

“I don’t intend to travel to the past. There is someone I want to bring here. Someone I must save,” Isa said. 

“If you are speaking about the girl, then I will lecture you no further. I’m afraid I am the one responsible for the vengeance you seek,” Ansem said. 

“If this machine truly works, then I have no need for vengeance. I only intend to right the wrongs that were done to her. She was my friend,” Isa said. 

“Then let’s test it!” Idyll said. She raised a keyblade to it and the machine came to life. Gears spun, whirled, and clicked. It emitted a light that caught Lea off guard. 

“No, wait!” Ansem yelled.

But the machine had already activated. A gate formed, and in its center was a keyhole. Idyll inserted her keyblade and the gate opened. 

“Finally! I can be free of this place!” She laughed. “This was too easy! You’re both complete idiots.” 

“You tricked us?” Isa asked. 

“Tricked you? That implies it took some effort. No, this was all part of a plan. The plan. I needed you with me. I needed you both to understand and pay. I am who I am because of your misguided machinations. I will leave, hide myself away in an ancient time of peace. No more war. No more pain. No more scientists or saviors. You will both take your regrets to the grave.”

“But why?” Isa asked. “Why would you do this? Who is waiting for you on the other side? Aren’t you afraid to be alone?” 

Idyll turned to Isa and smiled. She blew him a kiss, gave a wink, and then disappeared into the gate. It closed behind her and the machine became lifeless again. 

Lea ran forward. “Isa!” 

Ansem turned to see five youngsters turn the corner. 

“Lea, please don’t. It’s over,” Isa said. 

“What are you talking about? We can go after her! I can open the gate, Xion can stay here to keep it open.” 

“It’s done, Lea. She’s gone. She was the only lead I had.”

Lea wanted to argue, but just as a rebuttal formed in his mouth, his gummi phone began to ring. He answered it quickly. 

“Hey, this really isn’t a good time. Do you mind calling later?” Lea asked. 

“Okay? But you might want to hear this first.” 

“Roxas?” 

“Yen Sid needs our help. Can you and Xion catch a train to the tower? Mickey says its urgent.” 

“Urgent?” Xion asked. “What do you mean?” 

“Kairi and I were attacked. Riku was too, but he’s gone missing. We’re with Aqua, Terra, and Ventus. We’re all headed to meet Yen Sid now.”

“Right, but…” Lea said. 

“Go,” Isa said. “I’ll call you later and explain. For now, I’m, sorry, Lea. I’m sorry I for not telling you earlier. But you and Xion should go. I’m curious to hear the details about this emergency.”

Lea nodded. 

“Come on, Axel. We should hurry.”   
______________________________________________________________________________

 

“Oh?” Mickey said. His attention turned from Yen Sid's hat with a gaping mouth as he joined the others in the room and all eyes fell on Kairi. 

“I want to learn how to use the power of waking,” Kairi said. 

“Gosh, Kairi…” Mickey said. “I’m afraid I don’t know how to teach you that. For many, it just sort of happens. I know you miss Sora...we all do...but his sacrifice would be in vain if we all went looking for him now. The power of waking should be taken seriously.”

Kairi’s face turned to the floor. Donald and Goofy mirrored her. A tear formed in her eye and she ran from the room without saying a word. 

“Kairi needs time to think,” Mickey said. “With everything she’s been through, I think we should respect her wishes. For now, we’ll move forward with the plan Master Yen Sid has laid out for us.” Mickey cleared his throat. The entire room turned to him. "The Organization is defeated, but I’m afraid that not all of our problems are over. With Xehanort out of the picture, that leaves no one to pull the strings of the heartless and nobodies. They’ve gone wild, and the worlds still need saving. Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Lea, Roxas, and Xion, I’m going to need your help now more than ever. Master Yen Sid is busy at the moment. He’s sorry he couldn’t be here. In his absence, he has instructed us to form new unions, just like in the old days. The rest of you will train in one of these unions and seek out new members to defend the worlds from the heartless. What do you say? Can I count on you?”

“It all sounds simple enough, but there is quite the power vacuum,” Lea said. “Shouldn’t we worry about someone else stepping in to take Xehanort’s place?” 

“You’re right. There is one I can think of, but she doesn’t seem to be stirring up trouble. Even her sidekick, Pete, hasn’t been causing anyone a headache. So, it’s something we’ll just have to keep from happening. With Sora gone...Riku out looking for him...and Kairi needing time to decide, I guess the decision has been made for us.”

Seven keyblades appeared and circled Mickey. The room was filled with gasps and excitement. Then they disappeared and reappeared in the hands of the keyblade wielders. 

“There are seven keyblades of light that have been passed down from ancient keyblade families: Canis- The Dog, Camelus - The Camel, Ovis - The Lamb, Phoinis - The Phoenix, Bovinas - The Ox, Cervinus - The Stag, and Musculus - The Mouse.”

To no one’s surprise, Mickey was holding Musculus. Roxas held Canis. Its blade had two prongs at the end shaped like dog ears. 

“Camelus?” Ven said. His blade had a curve that resembled a hump in the middle on either side. “Why am I the camel?” 

Xion held Ovis, a blade with rigid edges. Aqua had Cervinas. Her blade was unique in that the end was decorated with stag horns that curved inward on either side. Lea’s blade, Phoinis, had wings on the end. Finally Terra’s blade was bulky with two horned prongs on the end.

“Good. That’s settled. But there’s one more thing we must do. With Xehanort and Eraqus gone that only leaves Master Mava,” Mickey said. 

“Master Mava?” Aqua asked. 

“Yes. She once trained alongside Eraqus and Xehanort.”

“I wonder why the Master never mentioned her?” Aqua said. 

“Well...she never had much interest in fighting, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t know how to use a keyblade. Why she’s done more research than Ansem the Wise. She even has her own apprentices. You all should visit with her. If anyone has the answer of what to do next, Mava will know for sure. You can take the train, I’m sure it will accommodate you all. I must stay here and watch over tower while the Master is away.” 

“Right. Don’t worry, Mickey. I’ll make sure we get there safe,” Aqua said.

“But what about the Unions?” Terra asked. 

“I’m afraid I won’t be of much help there. You all must decide for yourselves what union you belong to. And as Union Leaders, you must lead our guardians to defend the realms from darkness. But first, they must learn to wield keyblades. Merlin will be waiting for you to arrive. Mava has studied keyblades her entire life, so if you need help…” 

“Mava will know what to do! Got it!” Roxas said. 

Suddenly, Ventus began to gasp. 

“Hey, wait! What are you doing?” he said. 

Chirithy appeared. 

“I’ve waited around enough. Don’t you guys know anything about being Union Leaders? Sora didn’t know anything about The Final World or even how to restore a heart after it’s been lost.”

“The Final World?” Ven asked.

“What? Oh? Um...forget about that. More importantly, from what I can tell, you aren’t anything like the old keyblade wielders.”

“Old keyblade wielders?” Ven asked.

“Why do I always have to spell it out for people?” Chirithy’s head fell. “What I mean is... you don’t understand what kind of power you actually wield or even how to wield it for that matter. This is why Xehanort caused so much havoc.”

“Chirithy...” Ventus said. “That’s why we’re going to meet Mava. We’ll all get stronger, together!”

“It might not be my place to say, but I feel like somebody ought to. I’ve tried to put the pieces of this story together, and I have to say, they can get pretty convoluted. Body swapping, replica vessels, time travel. You’ve let the fate of this world become quite a mess. You all need a guide. Luckily for you, that’s what I was originally created for. And in my time, Union Leaders not only looked after the wielders in their unions, but they also had special roles. You know, to keep the balance and such.”

“Roles?” Xion said. “You mean just like in the organization?” 

“I don’t know anything about that. But without a role, what’s the point of even having leaders?” Chirithy said. 

“I see your point,” Ventus said. “So, what kind of roles do union leaders have?” 

“Huh?”

“You did say we needed a guide,” Ventus said. 

“Their roles were hidden. No one was allowed to know what their role was. Top secret and such.”

“I don’t think we need that.” Roxas said. “The Organization had many secrets. That’s what led us to where we are now.”

“I agree. Secrets will only draw us apart. I kept a lot of secrets once, and it led me down a dark path. We should remain united. We do this together,” Terra said. 

“Okay. Okay. No secrets. But you should at least have roles. What does your union stand for? Why do you fight? What do you hope to achieve? And what’s most important to you?” 

“My friends.” The union leaders all said in unison. They gave each other a startled look and then laughed. 

“For me, it would be keeping everyone together,” Aqua said. 

“That we aren’t misled by the darkness...or the light, to protect the balance,” Terra said. 

“To see new worlds and make new friends,” Ventus said. 

“To follow my heart, and learn its true power,” Roxas said. 

“I don’t really know. I guess to defend the worlds from anyone who wants to control them,” Xion said. 

“And I’ll always be there to bring them back. No one’s falling to the darkness on my watch,” Axel said. “It might just be fiction that keeps me going, but I still can’t let my fans down.” 

“Hm…” Chirithy looked them up and down. “I guess that will have to do for now. We should meet this Mava. I look forward to hearing what she has to say.”

 

_____________________________________________

 

“Those fools are finally gathering their wits. But no matter. Those mindless creatures are simple enough to control. They can keep themselves busy fighting the heartless, we have more important matters.”

“Uhh...Maleficent... what about the box?” Pete asked. 

“A fool’s errand! We wasted too much time searching, but now that we know it exists things will play out how they are destined. We need not trouble ourselves any further with that wretched relic.”

“But ain’tcha curious about what’s inside?”

“That revelation is all in due time. We need only wait. For now, there is something more pressing of our time.”

“We ain’t gonna have to travel from world to world again are we? Listen, Maleficent, I know our work’s important and all, but what do you say about a little vacation time.”

“Imbecile! Stop prattering. This time we’ll only travel to one world.”

“Yeah? Well good. And which one’s that?”

“The signs were there but I missed them. Our perspective was obscured by the light. Scala ad Caelum, Daybreak Town: two sides of an ancient coin. Neither of which yielded the answers we seek. We traveled to world after world and for what?” 

“Hehehe. I see what you’re saying. We should feel pretty foolish wasting all that time. We were never searching for a what. What we should have been searching for was a who.”

“Precisely,” Maleficent said with a smile. Her raven, Diablo, flew to her staff and she pet him. “It’s time we call on some allies. Go now, and deliver this message,” Maleficent said as she moved her hand around her staff and a green mist swirled. Diablo cawed and flew away.


	3. The Sides of Light and Darkness Gather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kairi is processing her feelings. She meets with Leon, Minnie, and Ansem the Wise. During a battle, something unexpected happens. She makes new friends, and by looking deep inside of herself she may finally have found her resolve to fight.

Kairi found herself in Radiant Garden.

She thought to herself: I have to grow stronger. I wasn’t able to protect Sora. I wasn’t able to protect myself. 

“Oh? So you’ve made it!” a voice said. 

Kairi looked up. She saw Queen Minnie and Leon meeting in the courtyard. 

"It took me a while to find them, but Cid, Aerith, Yuffie, and I gathered as many as I could find,” Leon said. “Cloud and Tifa are here too.” 

“Splendid! I hope the gummi ships were enough,” Minnie said. 

“Fifteen was more than enough. Although, we might have picked up a few strays along the way too.” 

“Hey, Leon. Long time no see,” Kairi said. 

“Kairi! It’s been too long,” Leon said.

“Where have you been?” Kairi asked. 

“Queen Minnie and the King thought it might be a good idea to gather as many warriors from other worlds as we can. Those who can protect the order. We might have missed the big battle, but now, we’ll never let something like Master Xehanort’s scheme happen again.”

“As long as they can protect the world order,” Minnie said. “So many worlds have fallen to darkness. Some are sleeping, but others weren’t so lucky. I can’t imagine how scary that must be. Oh, I’m so glad you’ve made it back safe, Leon. We can’t thank you enough for doing this.”

“It’s no problem. This is our world too. It took some convincing here and there, but I’d say we have ourselves a small army. It should be enough to fight back the heartless for good.” 

“I’ve been gathering warriors too.” Minnie said. “Although, I can’t say I’ve had much luck. Not everyone is cut out to fight.” 

“I know how they feel,” Kairi said. 

“You have a strong heart and a strong light.” Leon said. “You can’t go giving up on yourself just like that.” 

“Thanks,” Kairi said. “But I have to become stronger. Each time I face the heartless, I only seem to be in the way. But no more running. I’m a keyblade wielder...just like Riku and Sora. This time I’ll come to their rescue.”

“And where is Sora these days?” Leon asked. “Up to trouble I presume.” 

Kairi’s eyes fell to the ground. A single tear streamed down her face. 

“We have a lot to discuss, Leon. Please, if you’ll escort me to the castle, I can help you all get settled in.” Minnie said. “Ansem and Ienzo are waiting to hear from us too.” 

“HELP! Heartless!” A voice called out. 

“Oh my! That sounded like Daisy!” Minnie said. 

Kairi lifted her hand and a keyblade appeared. “Leave it to me.” In the distance, she could see the armor shaped heartless. She ran as fast as she could, and leapt at the heartless with a slash. On the other side of it she could see Daisy. She could also see someone else standing next to Daisy. 

“Leave this to me,” Kairi said. “Please, get to safety.” 

“Thank you,” Daisy said. 

The giant beast roared and clanked. Its arms and legs twisted about, making it difficult for Kairi to find a target. It swept at her with a colossal hand, but she dodged and met it with her keyblade. 

“Mog barrier!” A voice called out. A magical barrier formed around Kairi and bounced the iron giant backward. 

“Huh?” Kairi said and turned to meet them. 

“The name’s Mog. I’m here to save you, Princess.” It was a moogle wearing a knight’s helmet and carrying a shield. 

“Save me?” Kairi asked.

“Yes. You appear to be in trouble. Allow us to help.”

“Us?”

“Me and my steed.” The moogle whistled. A chocobo appeared wearing a wizard’s hat and carrying a wand.

“I’m not a steed, bwooh! My name is Choca.” 

The chocobo dove in front of them and shot lightning from its wand. 

“Thank you for your help. Let’s take this thing down,” Kairi said. 

The big clanking beast wobbled about and spun its torso around while flailing its arms. 

“Choco fire!” Choca said while raising her staff. 

The flames exploded and the heartless stumbled backward. 

“Moogle smash!” Mog said, as she rose up, dove, and dug her shield into the enemy. 

“I’ll finish it off!” Kairi said. She jumped into the air and raised her keyblade. 

Just before she could collide with the heartless, everything stopped. She lingered in the air for a moment as if by magic and then she was repelled. She rolled across the ground until she came to a stop. 

“Princess!” Mog shouted. 

“What happened?’” Kairi asked. 

“Princess? Are you okay?” Mog shouted. Her voice became more and more faint. 

“I’m okay,” Kairi said. 

Then suddenly, everything went black. Kairi could see the heartless breaking apart. It crumbled into smaller shadows that crawled into small pools of darkness before vanishing.

“What a waste. That one couldn’t even hold its own against you. How will you ever get stronger?”

Kairi looked up and saw a masked boy looking down at her. He reminded her of Vanitas, but he wore all white, and his mask was made of mirror. When Kairi faced him, she could see herself in his mask. 

“Who are you?” Kairi asked. “Vanitas?”

“You can see me? Hah! It’s about time! Man, I thought you’d never...wait...Vanitas? No. The name’s Lumino.”

“Lumino? Hold on. Your voice! You sound just like Sora!” Kairi said.

“Sora? Oh no. No. No. No. He’s an idiot. I’m not. I sound nothing like him,” Lumino said.

“Oh.”

“You need to wake up and face it. Sora isn’t here. It’s just you and me now. And the rest of the world of course. You have so many friends, I don’t know why you feel so alone.” 

“Alone? What do you mean?” 

“I’m saying that heartless wasn’t just some rando. You wanted it to appear. You wanted it to attack people. It was sleeping. But you used your power to, I don’t know. How should I phrase this - wake it.” 

“I woke it? But how do you know all that? Who are you?”

“Me? I told you, I’m Lumino. I’m what you’d call a scion. I was born from your memories. I guess I’m here to guide you and such. See, I know everything about you, inside and out. I’ve been with you for a while now, always watching. You want the power of waking, but no one will teach you. And that makes you feel sad and alone. Maybe even a little depressed. But you know what? I can teach you. I can teach you anything you want to know. In here, you don’t need friends. For Sora, his friends are his power. But that’s not how you work. You’re already powerful. Much more powerful.” 

“Princess! Please, you must wake up. Are you hurt?” Kairi could hear Mog’s voice somewhere in the void. 

“Power? What power?” Kairi asked.

“Your power. Just listen, even that Moogle knows it. You are a princess of heart. There’s a powerful light inside of you. You can see hearts for what they truly are. You can guide those hearts out of the darkness. You can restore hearts that have been lost, and you can do it without hurting them. You can save their heart, their body, and even their spirit. You’ve done it before. Twice even.”

“You’re talking about the power of waking? But I don’t have it. I don’t know how to use it.”

“Not if you say it like that, you can’t. See your problem is you like to be the damsel in distress. You like being saved. You want the hero to sweep in on their grand steed and always save the day. You’re doing it right now.” 

“You’re wrong.”

“Am I? Or am I so right it hurts? Who’s going to rescue you now? When it’s just YOU and ME in here.”

Kairi raised her keyblade to Lumino. “Let me out! I’ll prove you wrong.” 

Lumino began to laugh maniacally. “Let you out? I’m not holding you here. So let’s cut to the chase. Suppose you do get the power of waking? What would you do with it?”

“I’d use it to find Sora.” 

“He’s far away. What are you going to do, write him a letter? Do you remember what you wrote?” Lumino cleared his voice and put his hands behind his back to increase his posture. “Thinking of you, wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend. Now I will step forward to realize this wish. And who knows: starting a new journey may not be so hard, or maybe it has already begun. There are many worlds, but they share the same sky — one sky, one destiny. Those were your exact words. Do you still remember them? Do you still believe that?” 

“We’ve been separated before, but we always find our way back. This time I’ll bring Sora home,” Kairi said.”No more waiting.” 

“So why are you here with me and not helping Riku or the others? Don’t you think that they want to find Sora too? No one told you you had to go off on your own. No one asked you to leave. The truth is, it’s because they’re powerful. And you’re weak. They know how to use their power. If you truly want the power of waking, then you must first learn to wake yourself.”

“I see. Thank you.”

“You know, I was a little afraid at first, but now I think you’re ready. No matter where you go or what you see, you know you can always come back here. Right? I’ll be here waiting, and when you finally feel strong enough, I’ll teach you whatever you need.”

“Yes. Thank you. I understand now. I’m sorry I troubled you.” 

Lumino smiled. 

“Take this with you. It’s our lucky charm. Remember? But you have to promise to bring it back.”

Kairi raised her keyblade. It changed form and a burst of light shot forward. 

“This time, I’ll save him. For real this time. It’s a promise.” 

She was holding Oathkeeper. The light consumed Kairi and she could feel herself waking. 

“Princess? Are you okay?” Mog asked. 

“Yes. Thank you for helping me. Mog, was it?” Kairi said. “Please call me Kairi.” 

“No thanks needed. It is my sworn duty,” Mog said. 

“Sworn duty?” Kairi asked. 

“We were sent to protect you, kweh!” Choca said. 

“You took quite the fall. Are you okay?” Leon asked, helping Kairi to her feet. 

“Leon, are these your friends?” Kairi asked. 

“Sort of. They were the first to volunteer. You won’t find soldiers braver than these two. They trained under Master Mava.”

“Master Mava?” Kairi asked. 

“We can explain on the way. First, Minnie and Master Ansem would like to speak with us. I need to report in and tell him all that has happened. I’m looking forward to hearing your story too. I guess I’ve missed a lot,” Leon said. 

____________________________________________________

 

“And why have you gathered us here,” King Candy asked. “I’m sure we’re all very busy. You don’t intend to try and take my kingdom do you?” 

“Quiet fool. No one desires you little kingdom, we’re obviously gathered here to take over the entire universe,” Zurg said. 

“I’m obviously here to be the brains of the operation. You all look like halfwits,” Syndrome said. 

“I know more than you could ever comprehend in a thousand of your lifetimes,” Dr. Fasciler said. “And I can see deep into your heart and souls, and each of you are cowards. I wouldn’t bet on you if I had a double-sided coin.” 

“You all seem very capable. Why alone, any of you might be powerful. Together you might even be powerful enough to interest me. On land, you may rule kingdoms and planets. But not one of you match my dominion in the seas!” Evil Manta said. 

“Poppycock! That’s enough. You all need settle down, darlings” Magic de Spell said. “You’ve been gathered to serve a wise and powerful leader. We’re here to from a dark union.”

“Yeah. Magica’s right. You ain’t nothing compared to the powers Maleficent’s got.” Pete said. “And none of you’s were her first choices neither. Guess we’re scratching the bottom of the barrel these days.”

“Silence now.” Maleficent said. “It may be an unusual alliance, but no matter. Each of us seeks the same thing. Those who would stand in our way are gathering their forces. We must be vigilant and strike quickly if we hope to maintain our power. Your target will be the keybearers. As they alone pose the greatest threat; Our powers reside in darkness, while they hope to destroy it. We must not let them. So use whatever means necessary to carry out their defeat.”  
_________________________________________________________________________

“Ohohohoho! Gathered in this vacant space, I count one, two, three..yes...including me, that makes an exact two hundred and twenty. And each of us wielding a blade, that resembles a key,” Shantotto says.

“Thou art perceptive,” Cyan says. His head becomes dizzy as he looks over the faces of everyone gathered. He recognizes some: Terra, Locke, Edgar, and Celes. 

“Counting keys is rather easy, you see. But among the wares, there are without hands countless spares. A lost and found it might appear, but something sinister has surely happened here,”Shantotto says. 

“Dost thou truly think so?” Cyan says. 

“Perhaps, but why gather us here? In all my travels, I’ve yet to see a realm like this,” Faris says. “Nor a blade so odd.”

Shantotto waves her keyblade about. Magic emits from the end in a shower of sparks, causing several people nearby to gasp and back away. “It seems this blade is capable of tricks, just give me a minute and I’ll see how it ticks. As for why we have gathered, I’ve yet to deduce, but it appears at the moment we’ve deserted our truce.”

In the distance, Zell and Amarant fight with Kimahri and Snow trying to defuse the situation by holding them back. 

“Are you dissin’ me?” Zell says.

“Man, you’re a simpleton and a hothead,” Amarant says. 

Faris shakes her head and approaches. “Looks like there’s mutiny.” 

“Ignore them please, as they are no threat, for you see, our truer problem approaches yet. Raise your gaze and observe the sky, a hooded figure you will spy.” 

“Art thou an enemy?” Cyan asks.

Shantotto rushes forward and leaps into the air, her keyblade ready for an attack.

“W-wait! Do not rush in with such haste,” Cyan says. 

“You fool!” Faris yells. 

A blue light emits from the hooded figure and ice shards rain down. Shantotto deflects them all and fires a burst of magic in retaliation. 

“Pirate, hold your tongue for I’m no fool. Watch and witness a full measure of this tool. Though they say ignorance is bliss, a chanced preemptive strike I cannot miss.” 

From below, a blur of darkness and feathers glows, then with graceful speed Sephiroth joins Shantotto.

“Do you have a plan?” He asks. 

“Don’t be overconfident,” Shantotto says. 

“I have no need for confidence.” Sephiroth extends his blade and attempts to impale the figure. 

The cloaked figure dodges and spins, revealing an older man’s face and greying skin. A keyblade appears in his hand and he forces Sephiroth away easily. A Blizzaga spell emits from his hand and encases Shantotto. A Firaza spell explodes from Shantotto’s keyblade and the ice is blown away. Sephiroth collects his momentum and meets the man’s blade again. The two deflect the other with immense power and skill. Shantotto takes every opening by aiming fire at the both of them. 

The man’s keyblade catches Sephiroth in the chest. His free hand catches Sephiroth by the throat and freezes him solid. He falls instantly. As Shantotto makes an attack, she is caught by the man’s other hand and meets a similar end. 

“It doesn’t look like they want to talk,” Zell says. 

Several others rush past him with their keyblades ready and leap up to attack: Terra, Lightning, Zidane, Firion, Cecil, and Noctis. 

The figure raises his keyblade and the six of them are frozen instantly. 

“Everyone, retreat!” Vaan yells. He grabs Penelo’s hand and pulls her close to him. 

As soon as the crowd moves, a wall of ice rises and traps them inside.

The figure floats down and lands among them. Behind him a hail of magical bullets is fired. Cloud, Yuna, and Seifer rush forward. 

“I’m starting to like this thing,” Seifer says. 

He and Yuna both fire another round of magical shots.

“Cover me.” Cloud says. 

Rushing the figure, Cloud dodges ice spires that rise from the ground. 

“Cloud! You’re here!” Tifa yells amidst the chaos. She waves and charges the old man, followed by Barrett, Vincent, and Yuffie. 

Barrett and Vincent fire rounds of magical bullets. Yuffie leaps from spire to spire and throws her keyblade. 

Tifa jumps and slides to Cloud’s side. She extends her keyblade and he lands on it. As she thrusts it up, Cloud is sent flying toward the old man. His extends a keyblade, Midgardsormr, and hundreds of keyblades rise from the ground and surround him. In a blur he unleashes an Omnislash attack, grabbing keyblade after keyblade and impaling them into the robed man. 

The entire area of the ice wall trap is engulfed in dust. Everyone looks on to see if Cloud’s attack defeated the old man. 

As the dust clears, a perfect circle of five hooded figures stands still, faces covered, with their arms outstretched. 

“Enough!” One of the cloaked figures says. “Warriors, Guardians of Light, we are not your enemy,” Tenma’s voice booms over the crowd. “We only wanted to test your power, and you have proven yourselves worthy enough to wield a keyblade.” 

 

Leon stood in front of Ansem the Wise with his shoulders shrugged. “That’s mostly how it went down. We don’t know who they were, or what they wanted. We retrieved the keyblades from the badlands like you requested, and they appeared out of nowhere and attacked us.”

“I see. I believe we may have come in contact with them as well, and that they have a plan. What that plan may be, I haven’t the faintest recollection. I also never expected you to gather so many warriors to defend our cause, or that the keyblades would still retain power. With this many, it may be possible to defend other worlds too.”

“We should gather our best minds immediately to formulate a counter strategy. You say they’ve caused no trouble yet, but if they take control of the heartless, we may have a larger problem than even Xehanort,” Ienzo said. 

“They’re strong. That’s for sure,” Leon said. “It’s a shame Sora isn’t here. He’d already be running off with a half cooked plan to face them head on.”

“I’ll help fight too,” Kairi said. “Sora would fight. I plan to fight too.” 

“We’ll need every warrior at our disposal. In an attempt to right my wrongs, I fear I led our new enemy right to our weak point. She came to me as a vulnerable face from the past. One that still haunts me. But she was an imposter. Worse, I allowed her to use a device with unforeseeable power.”

“What exactly does this device do?” Leon asked. 

“It belonged to Xehanort. He called it a Time Gate, but its true use remains a mystery. It is activated with the keyblade, but I’m afraid that is all we know. I unwittingly led one of their members to it. She accessed it without hesitation.”

“The logical conclusion is to study it and send others in after her, but we can’t just send someone in without knowing if it’s safe to use,” Ienzo said. 

“I see. It would be suicide to rush in without testing it first. Can you take us there? I’m sure I can find some brave and crazy souls in the bunch we wrangled up,” Leon said. 

“That won’t be necessary. We already have our volunteer. He is adamant in being the one to test it.”

“Really? Who?” Leon asked. 

“Please, young one. You may join us. I’d like to introduce you to someone,” Ansem said. 

Kairi looked behind them, as everyone grew quiet. There were footsteps, and somehow reminded Kairi of someone. And then, as they turned the corner, a wave of emotions hit Kairi all at once. 

She gasped, and nearly stuttered his name. “Sora?”


End file.
